In 'Gandhi Before India,' just published in the United States as the first installment of a two-part biography, historian Ramachandra Guha highlights the non-violent leader's early failures as fundamental to his later accomplishments.

Today we're wishing Gandhi a happy 144th birthday. To celebrate the life and spirit of the nonviolent leader, we're nodding to Gandhi's outsize influence in bringing justice to an unjust region, and suggesting important biographies that highlight the many facets to Gandhi's storied life.

With the annual TED conference kicking off next week in Long Beach, California, 1,500 attendees will travel from all over the globe to experience the live version of the worldwide phenomenon. Susan Cain, author of the 2012 instant New York Times bestseller “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” was among the “undiscovered” speakers at last year’s conference.

In the wake of the recent mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school, it’s clear that we need to start a constant and constructive conversation with our children about nonviolence. Here are four biographies that provide the historic context, inspiring stories, and relatable anecdotes that might help get such a conversation with the budding peacemakers in your life off the ground